And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
The Israelites didn't attack them because their leaders had made a promise to them in the name of the LORD God of Israel. But all the people complained and grumbled against their leaders.
The writer is showing how the Israelites were bound by a sacred promise their leaders made, even though the people were upset about it.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were conquering the Promised Land as God had commanded, facing various nations that opposed them. The Gibeonites, a local people group, tricked the Israelite leaders into a peace treaty by pretending to be from a distant land, leading the leaders to swear an oath in God's name. When the deception was revealed, the Israelites refrained from attacking due to the sacred oath, but this sparked discontent and murmuring among the people against their leaders.
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